I

I did it again didn't i- fell off the radar again! I'm sorry, i think (and i truly do think) i shall be back to posting regularly again now, i've had a combination of my illness being flared coupled with the fact it's absolutely blooming freezing, Christmas shopping and general lack of hours conspiring against me! But the shopping is almost done, i'm slowly getting accustomed to the bitter cold so i hope to be back everyday.

Oh and i did manage to get some baking done, i've made gluten free apricot and nut cookies (which went down very well), more raspberry and white chocolate cookies, coconut macaroons, jam thumbprints, a pear and frangipane tart and grapefruit cupcakes- those were the absolute hit, apparently they were incredibly light so i imagine i will be making those again.

Anyway, enough of the waffling, on with the show.

I.

Place/Country to visit;

Iceland.

And yes ironic as it sounds after i've just complained about the cold i've wanted to go to Iceland since i was very young. It's places like Iceland that really help me feel connected to the planet- to nature i guess, just to see the way our world grew and evolved inspires me and i'd love to be able to go and just experience being in a place like that.

travel-to-iceland.com

Recipe;

Iced Buns.

Now i've been baking a lot for my family (therapeutic for me and yummy for them) and i'm glad to say i'm getting better and trying more complex things, in fact, i'm aiming to do the Portuguese Egg Tarts next as i was so kindly linked to the recipe and can't stop thinking about them. But sometimes, sometimes it's nice to just do something simple and do it well and for me, iced buns rock! It was my treat as a child to be given an iced bun once a week and i treasured every part of it, just plain icing atop a slightly sweet bun was just perfect.

housewareslives.net

Item;

Insomnia relief!

Yep, i am insomniac and have been for the last 3 years now! In honesty you do get used to it, you do adapt fairly quickly but there is nothing more appealing than getting into a lovely soft bed and closing your eyes and opening them 8 hours later without waking up once! I've done all the horrible meds they give you, the self-hypnosis, the alternative remedies- i think i am destined to be a night owl, it's just my luck i seem to be more awake when the world goes to sleep!

negotionaisdone.wordpress.com

Saying.

"If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen".

Flower.

Iris.

This must be a family thing because they were my Grandfather's favourite, they are my Mother's favourite and they are one of my all time favourites. They look so delicate and elegant yet the foliage is dense and thick and strong, and i like that that you can have a strong base but a soft heart.

motls.blogspot.com

Animal;

Ibex.

Ever heard of an Ibex? I hadn't until a little while ago, and it's not likely i will ever see one in it's true habitat but still, they are incredible creatures in my eyes.

They look like goats crossed with deer but it's how they live that is just so amazing. Imagine the rugged cliffs on the edge on the dead sea- baron and scorched, well the Ibex lives on the very top of these cliffs, they nurture their young up there as they have no predators that can reach them. Yet they of course, just like all animals, need to feed and drink and so, they abseil down what i can only refer to as the sheerest and most unstable of cliff faces ever to get to the river bed below to drink and to the trees that they climb in to graze. And if that wasn't enough the parents instill in their young from a really early age that survival for them depends on agility so when the foxes patrol the river basin the young scrabble back up to a place where no other creature could stand. And i was so thrilled when on Life on BBC a few weeks back they managed to capture all of this on film, i was just speechless to see it in action!

treknature.com.

So there we go I is done, and i promise to be here much more often in the run up to Christmas and to be commenting with you lovely people a lot more.

xxx

H

Oops- another week has just flown past me- but have no fear H is finally here (and yes i know how terribly cheesy that line is but it is freeing cold here and my brain hasn't defrosted yet!).

Hope everyone has a had a good week, holiday season is well and truly descending now, a recent trip to the garden centre left me feeling as though i'd entered Christmas on speed as it was very overwhelming, but then again the build-up is always magical and i am still a big kid inside! Oh and i've been baking, rather a lot of late eek- i don't know if i should do an intermission post on what i've made or not? Oh and if anyone knows of any yummy gluten free cookie/cake bars/muffin recipes i would be most grateful!

Anyway, on with the show.

H.

Place/Country;

Hawaii.

Well how could it not be? Look at that picture- just, wow. I'd love to climb the rocks and just sit on the top of paradise. The wildlife, the weather, the attitude and kindness of the people there has attracted me from a very young age. However, i'm not a beach person, i can't do the old sunbathing for hours and i don't like to swim so it's always seemed an odd destination to go to but i think that the place you visit and remember is the place you dream and make come true- you don't have to go to a tropical island and only see the beach.

go-travel-blog.com

Recipe.

Hummingbird Cake.

Oh. My.

I found out about this miracle of a cake a few months ago, thinking i would look for some variations on carrot cake recipes. And then one day i was watching Neighbours (guilty pleasure) and they had it on there. Imagine all the comfort and delight from carrot cake but with the addition of sates and pineapple making it super moist and irresistible! Yes Please!!!

Item;

Hatstand.

Odd, maybe? Do i wear hats? No. Does that actually matter? No. I live in the past most of the time in my head, probably why i studied a degree in history and i am a firm believer in keeping the past alive but allowing it to adapt and move on. I would not use my hatstand for hats, coats or the like but i would dress it up with my scarves and long beaded necklaces, i would string ribbon around the hooks at the top and use pegs to hand cards and letters from my treasured friends.

furnitureinfashion.net

Saying;

"Home is where the heart is."

Flower;

Heather.

I have tried, and tried and tried to grow heather but we don't have the right acid balance in the soil here. But it doesn't take away my love for it. It seems quite a prickly intimidating plant but it couldn't be further from the truth. Soft and aromatic and just absolute luxury, this is one hardy princess in the flower world.

electricscotland.com

Animal;

Hedgehog.

Hehe, i got so excited looking for pictures of my favourite little autumn critter. I'm so lucky in that having a secluded garden means we often see little families of hedgehog's throughout the year and have many sites in the garden where they go for hibernation. Please always check your leaf piles before you use them as bonfires for the little prickly beings, and don't feed them bread and milk- the best thing is just tinned dog food and if you happen to come across one that is injured or looks ill please ring the RSPCA, they will have numbers for your local hedgehog sanctuaries.

howyoucanhelpsnufflelodge.com

xxx

G

Ooh seems as though i'm on a role this afternoon, so here we go, g is up and ready to go. And thank you to everyone who reads and comments, it's lovely to see the comments and how people relate to the posts- feel free to get as involved as you like with the posts.

G.

Place/Country

;

Galapagos Islands.

I am inspired by these islands, the nature they contain and the secrets locked within them. I love how humans are the visitors, not the keepers of the rocks. And i'd love to get the chance to see them in my own eyes, see what Darwin saw and perhaps feel as he did when he embarked upon his journey there. But part of me also thinks that it is a private world and perhaps it should stay that way, we all need our secrets, even the earth.

travelwizard.com

Recipe;

Gingerbread House.

Hehe! How much fun can you have with this? The aroma of the gingerbread baking will make your soul dance around with sheer delight, the warming perfume always seems to bring me to life and removes troubles at once. And once baked and cool you can decorate to your hearts content. and seeing as i (shock horror) have a sweet tooth mine would be adorned with the prettiest candies and sugars you can find, all there to twinkle and glimmer in their own special ways.

caring.com

Item;

Gray's Anatomy.

Not the TV series (although it is very good and one of my favourites) but my very own copy of Gray's Anatomy. I know it will seem odd, most people don't have a anatomy book to browse through but my hunger, my absolute passion for knowledge on the subject is only intensifiying as i grow older. I'm from a medical family and , as letter D denoted, medicine is my dream. And so to own my own copy, to be able to study in depth the mechanics of the body would be the best present anyone could get me.

drawinblack.com

Saying;

"Good things come to those who wait".

Flower;

Geranium.

Our garden is always stocked full of geraniums, my window box with it's red and pink jewels is still flowering, despite the change in weather and everyday i open my curtains they bring me joy. My absolute favourites though are the wild species, they seem so delicate but are hardy and strong and the little blue flowers can be nestled in the undergrowth, only showing themselves to those who walk on past them, mini secrets to be unearthed.

wildnatureimages.com

Animal;

Giraffe.

I'd love to know what giraffes think of the world, do they think they are giants and everyone else small or do they feel out of place with their long necks rising high above the canopy? They are beautiful, whatever they think, and i wouldn't like them to think they are the odd ones out, and you know what, i'm the odd one out always and sometimes i feel like i stand out like they do but they should be proud they stand out for their sheer elegance and beauty.

whateverthingsare.wordpress.com.

xxx

F (finally!)

F.

I'm so behind, grr! I am so annoyed as yesterday i thought i was being really good and catching up and wrote out some posts and then blogger decided that it wouldn't post any of them and lost the lot. Not a happy bunny, but well they say try and try again so i will.

Anyway, this is my F post, and then i hope to get on with G, H and I at some point, although i know there is no rush but i'm having fun with the posts!

F.

Place/Country to visit;

Finland.

Clearly my love for Nordic lands continues! I'm someone who loves the sun and that's all great but after a few hours, maybe days i get really tired of being hot all the time! Good job i live where i do as we hardly ever have the sun, but Finland in the fall and winter just looks absolutely divine to me. Somedays there is nothing better than bundling up in winter woolies, scarves, mittens and silly hats, shiny wellies and a good friend and just going for walks where every time you giggle you see your breath in the fresh clean air and the noise beneath your feet just crackles with delight on the fallen leafs. Couple that with spectacular scenery and that makes me a happy person.

goscandianvia.com

Recipe;

Frangipane.

This is going to seem very odd. Especially when i say how much i hate almonds! But as a youngster having Bakewell Tart was always something i looked forward to because of the frangipane layer. Warm and soft and dribbled in jam, just yum.

goodfood.com

Item;

Fig tree.

Have you ever seen an old fig tree? One that has grown into the most beautiful and contorted shapes, the branches spiralled and twisted in it's own pretty way, no two the like? It's leaves hang low and fruit dangle down like jewels from a crown.

thegreatblogofketo.com

Saying;

"Follow your dreams".

Flower;

Fressia.

This one was easy for me. When i was growing up i used to love the idea that when everyone went to sleep at night the garden would come alive. I used to love the thought that from the closed flower buds would come fairies that would be free to live and dance in the moonlight. Of course, as you get older the magic diminishes and all thoughts becomes fantasy and wild innocence of youth but i still look at Fressias and think, what a lovely home the buds would make to delicate little fairies.

Animal;

Frog.

Yes i know it's not actually an animal in the correct sense of the term but i love them! I love their sense of being, the way they just seem to be, reagrdless of the decade, the century a frog is a frog is a frog. And to me the tree frog is one of my absolute favourites. A female tree frog climbs the equivalent of 3 Empire State buildings in a day to nurture her young in their tiny nurseries in bromiliads high up in the forest canopy. She gets no praise but to me she is a heroine.

animal-world.com

So there we go, f is finally done, took a while i know! I hope to get up to speed with the next few letters so expect a few posts in quick succession!

xxx

E

Oh dear, where did yesterday go- i shall post E here and then move straight onto F- apologies it may be short i am so tired matchsticks are required to hold up my heavy eyelids!

E.

Place to visit;

Eden Project.

I love the design and the ethics of this place. Part of me worries as they have a butterfly house and i'm scared of moths and knowing my luck i'd stumble into the moth exhibit!

Recipe;

Egg Custard Tart.

Simply because this is my Mum's all time favourite thing to eat and i'd love to make her a fresh one instead of a shop bought one!

bakingbites.com

Item;

Electric Guitar.

Nope can't play, wouldn't know where to start but oh my i'd love to have one and learn.

onlybestguitars.com



Saying;

Every cloud has a silver lining.

Flower;

Euphorbia.

We have stunning ones in our garden and while i was growing up i used to see them as some sort of alien, like loads of little eyes all looking at you- but not in a creepy way, in a sort of lovable curious way!

fireflyforest.com




Animal;

Elephant.

How could people would to hunt these archaic gods of the past? I adore them and there funny noises and long noses. But i do find it hard to look at any pictures of them without bursting into tears. The recollection of the episode of Planet Earth with the baby elephant- i can't even write about it i get so emotional. And i accept nature is what nature is but i still feel so many emotions.

africapoint.net.

xxx

D

Day 4.

Oh yes, i hadn't forgotten, just hadn't a chance to write until now. And i thought it rather apt as i'm watching Strictly Come Dancing (get the D link there, yep simple things simple minds was written for me) to compile my list for the day. So get comfy, and i'll begin.

D.

Recipe;

Doughnuts.

Now I have no idea why some people spell it with the 'h', others without, but i go for with. Anyway, in honour of my beautiful friend i would love to make vegan doughnuts and sprinkle them with sprinkles and prettiness. I think having the opportunity to make them means more than the actual eating of them.

vegancupcakes.wordpress

Place;

Denmark.

I've got a really romantic notion of Nordic countries, there's something about them that just pulls me in, like the smell of gingerbread cooking at Christmas or the tinkle of the ice cream van as it drives by. The wide open fields, the creaking of the sails as the windmills pass their weight round and round, the beautiful architecture that is simple yet alluring and well quaint. I love the fact it inspired writers like Hans Christian Anderson and i would love to go and just sit and be there, be inspired too.

nordicco.com

Item;

Degree.

Oh this is a complicated one- bear with me. I do actually have a degree- i have the letters after my name that spending three years in Uni has left me with- i am in fact a BA Hons and have a degree in history. But it isn't what i want. I'm not proud of the letters because i don't feel them in my heart. I don't feel proud, nor achieved nor accomplished as they may as well be abc after my name, i feel i've let everyone down by doing a degree just because i had passion for the subject, but when i discovered that my passion was not what the Uni wanted, that we didn't click, i should have done the brave thing and left. And i should've left because i have always wanted more than anything to get a degree in something else. It's something i dream of, i wake up wanting it, wake up wishing for it but it's not possible, for me, not now and sadly probably never. But if i could, if i could make it happen, i would have the same letters as my Dad, i would have a degree in medicine. I would be a Dr.

sweetiesblog.com

Saying;

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket".

Flower;

Daffodil.

Yes i am very predictable- it is my nations flower but i do love it- especially the double bud variety and the pale lemon colour. I'm not so keen on the orange ones but there is something so very special when i see a daffodil. It sort of reminds me how lucky i am, how i'm lucky to live where i live and know the people i do.

weddingpaperdivas.wordpress.com

Animal;

Dolphin.

Yes i live in the UK but we do have dolphins here, apparently! I've been very lucky in my life to stay in some amazing places where the first sight in the morning were wild dolphin jumping and performing their acrobatic stunts in the water just beyond the glass. There were some nights i was lucky to be alone as the sun was setting and the glass like surface of the water would slowly start to ripple. First i'd see a fin, then maybe a tail, and then i felt so honoured as they lived in front of me- i felt accepted, that they thought of me as no threat. I am always humbled by their intelligence, their drive for life, for fun, for family but also for commitment to each other.

adoptadolphin.co.uk

Hope everyone has had a delightful day- yes i know, dreadfully cheesy and i shall stop now before my fingers tap out anymore dreary jokes.

Damn...

xxx

C

Day 3.

Oh and that of course means we move onto C. I have to admit this is doing me good, partly as i get an excuse to write but also as i can slightly use the old brain cells and get my alphabet in order- trust me, i may have a degree but i still have to say the alphabet over and over in my mind!

C

Recipe;

Caramel Apples.

Oh.My.

I mean just, wow. how much fun must it be to make these, and they look so ornate and beautiful. I don't think i've eaten one since i was very, very young and having porcelain teeth doesn't really make it very possible but still, i'd love to spend time making them!

dessertcomesfirst.com

Place to visit;

Canada.

When my Grandad was widowed he was in his late 70's, and he decided to get his first ever passport and leave the UK. And off he went, to Canada. I admired him so much for going there, somewhere he'd read about, seen on TV and he did it. I don't think i'll follow him exactly by white water rafting but i'd love to see what he saw on a trip that meant so much to him.

holidays2canada.co.uk

Item;

Cello.

When i first picked up the bow at age 7 i felt so free. There was just something, hmm how do i describe it, i just felt connected to the gorgeous curves and the beautiful veneer. I played until i was 16 but i was hopeless! I passed some exams and the like but i couldn't get to grips with reading music- i was fine if i marked it in my own code but hopeless if not given a chance to decorate the music in my own way! Yet i do miss it. I miss sitting in my room in the late afternoon, with the rain hitting my window and me and it just making our own soundtrack.

hertzmusic.eu

Saying;

"Cool as a cucumber".

Flower;

Crocus.

I am very fortunate to live in a very old house with a very large and mature garden. One of the central elements is a horse chestnut tree that must be 300 years old. Under the canopy of this tree every winter little jewels emerge, you wouldn't think they would but up they come, often in frozen/snowy grounds revealing their petite and beautiful blooms.

nybg.com


Animal;

Cats.

I did wonder if putting down cats would be too obvious but hell, i love them and have always had them in my life. I adore their independence yet loyalty and their absolute willingness to show empathy and compassion. I'd be lost without mine.

This is Tilly- my sister's Maine Coon, adorable and soft but with a wicked personality, she's one of a kind! I buy her toys all the time becuase she is a total intellect and i love for her to be stimulated as much as possible.






This is my boy. His name is Boris and you will often find him perched next to me on his favourite cushion. He has this odd obsession with anything blue, won't sleep on any other colour blanket etc! He had an awful start in life, was discarded in a plastic bag as a kitten on marshland- luckily he fought his way out, the rest of the litter weren't so fortunate, and he made his way to us. We've had him now for 7 years and he truly is a big soft teddy bear.




And this is our other old man, Roy. He's been with us for nearly a year now but he is in fact my sister's boyfriends cat. When they moved in together Tilly wasn't keen on sharing her home so he came to us. And what a character, he is a little old man in cat form. Like Boris Roy was mistreated as a kitten, kicked and thrown around and so was a little wary, he was also homeless for a while so we were worried he would try and escape from us. But he found his feet here very quickly, settled in and is part of the family. We reckon he's about 15 now but still keeps Boris on his toes!




xxx

B

Day 2.

And yep, that means one thing, letter B is ready to go. And thanks to the lovely lenevermore for the suggestion of adding some pictures. I agree it will help lift the post. So here goes, enjoy.

B.

Recipe:

Baked Alaska.

I don't know if it's something i'd like to eat per say but i have always marvelled at just how creative it must have been when the first cook encased ice cream in meringue to find it still protected after cooking. I 'd love to give it a go, see people's expressions when you produce the silky, crispy meringue with it's secret lurking inside!

findmyrecipes.com

Item;

Ballet Shoes.

And i mean the original, professional sort, not the fashion sort (although i do love those) but oh my goodness i'd love a pair of the professional sort. I am no dancer, far, far from it but i adore the skill, the passion, the romance and the total simplicity in the complexity that ballet provides.

theartwarestore.com

Place to visit;

Barcelona.

I've been lucky enough to go to Spain a few times but never to Barcelona. I'd love to go to see the architecture, i have a weird eye fir buildings, i just get blown away by the smallest details, sometimes the biggest picture doesn't blow me away but the little things, the cornices, flag poles, doorways, floor tiles- wow.

veggieplaces.com

Saying;

"Be Prepared".

Flower;

Bird of Paradise.

Nature is the best artist there is. I don't think you could design a more architectural and beautiful flower then she.

cairochronicles.com

Animal;

Badgers.

I know they have a bad reputation and are blamed for a lot of strife and are called violent but i don't care. I love them. Their colourings, their habits, the family unit. Sadly i live in a rural area where badgers are blamed for cattle TB and are due to be culled- something that is being fought and so far, the badgers are winning!

xxx

New direction

So i was thinking last night (as i often do in the middle of the night) how this blog needs some sort of direction. I mean i truly do love to write but i like to know what i'm writing for, if that makes sense. And so, the most random of ideas came to mind. did you ever play that game when you were young, the alphabet game- you take a letter then have to name a boy's name, a girl's name, a flower, an animal etc. Well it got me thinking, that whilst i'm still unsure of the direction in which to write, for the next 26 days i'm going to play my very own version of the alphabet game.


Each day will have a new letter (obviously) but the categories will be the same. It gives me a chance to write about things and go form there i guess. And it may not be thoroughly entertaining but writing is a form of escapism that i value too much to let my blog go again.


So, the categories that will be featured in the 26 posts are;
Country/place i'd like to visit;
Item i'd like to own;
Recipe i'd like to bake;
Favourite saying;
Favourite flower;
Favourite vegetable.

So here goes, who knows what the next 26 days are going to uncover, if you want to join in then lease feel free to do so, the best thing about life is learning about others.



***


A.


Country/Place;

Alaska.

Oh my days for as long as i can remember i've wanted to go to Alaska. I've been to the USA many times and have travelled all over but Alaska is one place i'm yet to explore. The beautiful scenery, the absolutely spectacular nature and the peace, the beautiful peace of a place so untarnished by the drive for absolute modernity. I'd love to just walk along routes with a camera and a friend and jut soak up everything it has to offer.

Item:

Abstract art;

I#m no art expert- far from it, in fact most things that seem to be well acclaimed just don't do it for me. I know there are some masterpieces and i can appreciate the skill involved in them but they don't speak to me. So i am forever on the lookout for artwork/wall art that is not only individual but that displays a message to me and maybe only me.

Recipe:

Apple snow.

This is something my Dad's Mum used to bake for him when he was growing up. Sadly never got to know my Ganny but y Dad has talked about this recipe with such fondness that i would love to give it a go. It's not a recipe i can find easily though so i'm going to have to go through Granny's old recipe file to see if i can find it!

Saying:

" A bird in the hand i worth two in the bush".


Flower:

This is hard as i love so any, but i'm probably going to go for Allium. I love the globe purple spheres that seem so heavy but are oh so light that just wave around on the green stalks.


Animal:

Albatross.

Even though it's a big thing you don't hardly ever see, the habits of this bird are just fascinating. Did you know they mate for life but spend month apart flying across the oceans, yet they know exactly whom their spouse is and where they will be when they do meet back up. I'm a sucker for things like that!



So there we have it, A is done, probably bored most of the readers silly but there we go, look out for B tomorrow!


xxx

Handmade goodies

Happy Sunday one and all. Hope you're all having a nice and relaxing weekend. The weather here is just grey- hasn't changed all day, i even had the fire on for a while to help banish the cold- brr.

Anyway, i needed something to do and as my family are out visiting relatives i thought it would be an opportune time to take over the kitchen and bake. I had planned on a glazed apple cake but i found less butter in the fridge that i had thought so decided that the rapidly ripening banana's in the fruit bowl should be used up and the result, a banana and walnut tea loaf (that i had to save from the jaws of my cat!)

And as this is a sort of handmade post i thought i'd share my latest embroidery, it's a solar system pattern, slightly adapted but nevertheless a hugely wonderful pattern from theflossbox on etsy- check her out if you love to sew her patterns are inspired. It is a present for my sister's boyfriend for Christmas, he teaches physics so i thought it rather apt!

And seeing as it's Sunday it means i know have the joy of the F1 race in Brazil. Yep, i adore F1, have done for nearly 17 years now, i know for a lot of people they think it must be very boring to watch cars go round and round and round but for me i thrive on the tactical elements, and Brazil is shaping up to be one hell of a race.

So happy Sunday whatever you are getting up to,

xxx

Return

I've had an epic dose of bloggers block- i just haven't been able to find the words to make a decent post! However, i miss this lovely place and now that the crispness of autumn is upon us i feel more motivated to get back into the swing of things.

Even though it's been so long i've not done anything remotely exciting (shock horror), my sister turned 28, i turned 26- that entailed an awful lot of baking, i had a ball making some cupcakes for my sister with my wonderful aunt! I may post pictures although get scarily embarrassed!

And seeing that i've been away for so long and that i don't really know how to reintegrate i thought i would do a tag that the lovely Daisy has supplied.

Where's your cell phone: On the arm of my sofa next to me.

Your hair: In desperate need of a brush.

Your Mother: Fighting the biggest battle with grace.

Your Father: Dependable and my rock.

Favourite Food: Broccoli.

Dream last night: Oh trust me, you don't want to know!

Favourite Drink: Ribena light.

What room are you in?: The breakfast room.

Hobby: I flit between lots and nothing.

Fear: Moths!!!

Where were you last night?: Snuggled up in bed.

Something that you aren't?: Employed.

Muffins: Summer berries with a whole strawberry in the centre.

Wish List Item: Wall art.

Where did you grow up?: Same village i still live in.

What are you wearing?: Pink hoodie, dark denim baggy jeans and socks.

Your Pets: Boris and Roy my wonderful cats.

Friends: Few but amazing.

Something you're not wearing: Make-up.

Favourite Store: Handycandy.

Favourite Colour: Purple.

Last time you laughed: When my cat leapt at the shut window thinking it was open-oops!

Your best friend: Laura.

Place you go to over and over: Um i don't go anywhere, does my bed count?

Person who emails you regularly: Laura.

Favourite place to eat: Vegan cafe.

So there we have it, i apologise for my absence, i will get around as many blogs as i can to catch up with you all.

xxx

Random musings

Oh little blog- i have a million things i could write about but nothing that comes to mind, does that make sense, probably not but then life rarely does.

I've not been up to much worth commenting on, I've tried my hand at quilting and have made a tea cosy- inspired by my latest post of finds, and an ice cream sundae cushion cover. It's sort of therapeutic to take old fabric and bring them back to life again. Yet i'm feeling very self-conscious over my 'makes' mainly because i have the world's most creative and talented family and i've always been the odd one out! They can draw and paint, sew, craft- do everything basically and do it amazingly. My 'craft' as a young one was always poetry, i seemed to like to make patterns with words and yet as i got older i became embarrassed by that. And that's something that often makes me ponder.

If life is about living who deems what is embarrassing or not? Yet i feel driven to not be myself because i feel like an oddball, like life is the square hole and I'm a round peg. It's very hard to explain i guess, i just sort of feel like i don't quite fit in with what life is supposed to be.

I've been waiting for years to find that something that makes me 'me', something that sort of connects me to the world and it always alludes me. I don't even feel like this blog is truly me because i don't want to write about me- it's nice to post about things i like and so on and it does help me 'live' dreams that would never be 'lived' but i often want to just write- write thoughts, feelings, just let things out but i don't, mainly because i think i fear loneliness online even though I'm used to loneliness in real life. I want to be able to post and be the person of my dreams but how can i when she doesn't exist, and is life supposed to be lived with a constant illusion of life?

Who knows, maybe one day the real me will appear, maybe not, and i guess that uncertainty is what makes life...

xxx

Time for tea

For some reason today i've been drawn to tea cosy's. Now this is odd on multiple accounts, mainly because i don't drink tea (except for the odd cup of peppermint) and haven't done since i was 5, so that's 20 years now! Yet i have lovely childhood memories, sitting around on a Sunday with cakes and the teapot, i used to love to keep my hands warm inside the tea cosy when the tea was all drunk. There's just something magical for me in the padded thickness, the warmth and the pattern on them that takes me back to weekends of my youth. Even in high summer (and my goodness isn't this current one a let down) the teapot would always come out- cakes were always handmade, the creation of love from the heart of our home.

So here is my tribute to the humble tea cozy, thanks for the memories.

These are my favourite type- padded bundles of loveliness, and who could resist this cute little guy- www.theblackrabbit.co.uk

I'd love to be able to make designs like this, perhaps one day i shall brush up my embroidery skills and give it a go- teaescapades.com

I have the most amazing love for bees. They get a bad press and i absolutely adore the little things. Mainly because the humble bumble bee is not supposed to fly, nature didn't design it to fly- but you know what, the bee wanted too and so it fought against the constraints and it learnt how to fly regardless- that is something that means a lot to me.
secondhandshopper.com

I love the vintage appeal of this one, it covers the vintage/modern crossover so well and the colours are just gorgeous.

www.notonthehighstreet.com

I have to admit i fancy having a go at making this one, the pattern is very kindly available on this knitter's personal blog and i have oodles of sirdar wool that could be put to good use!

lollipopknits.com

Being Welsh i had to get a sheep in here somewhere and this little lovely caught my eye,

kenanaknits.com

I'm always so impressed by hand knitted creations- i know how long it takes me to make a rose and this one is covered in them!

And strawberries and summer go hand in hand!

Both this and the one above are from laughinghens.com

Back to the style of my youth- i love applique, my sister is taking it up and is amazing at it, i don't think i have the required imagination so shall have to rely on her and others instead!

www.thehippyshopper.com

More chickens, i can't help but love their simple form and cute faces!

heartgalleryblog.com

This is one of my absolute favourites, and the proceeds of this one go the Eve appeal (my charity for July) making it extra special.

This design is so fresh and quirky, i absolutely love it!

belladia.com

And i now have a feeling that a post on bees and chickens may follow, what is it they say about simple things, simple minds...

xxx